Where to Buy Cheap College Textbooks

Posted on: November 11 2009 • Categorized in: Saving Money, Thrifty Finds

Tag Search: books, cheap, college, school, textbooks, used

Two of my kids are headed back to college, and with it comes hefty textbook fees. I’ve researched some places to snag some cheaper textbooks. Some are sites that compare costs; some are sites where you can actually buy the books.

Don’t buy online just by looking at the picture of the book cover. It’s best to get the ISBN number for the book. This way you make sure you are getting the right book or edition. Many textbooks do look alike!

However, for subjects that won’t change much from edition to edition, many times you can save money by buying the previous edition. So if the book is currently on the 8th ed., then get the 7th. Often, they are a few years old. Check with professors; this would not apply in something like medicine or law where the textbooks have important updates. But for books that are basically the same book with a new cover, as a lot of my sons’ textbooks were, the old editions will work fine. And they will be much cheaper.

Most of these websites will also buy back your books when the semester is over.

My eldest son found that renting his book from one of the sites below was the most economical way to go. For a nominal fee, you use the book until the semester is over, and return the book to the web store. They even provide the shipping and mailer. So simple!

Here’s where to start saving money: